Park Chan-wook has lined up an all-star cast for his next film, the Western thriller “The Brigands of Rattlecreek”: Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Emmy nominee Pedro Pascal and Chinese star Tang Wei.
The vaunted South Korean director (“No Other Choice,” “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden”) will direct the film and adapt the original screenplay by S. Craig Zahler (“Dragged Across Concrete,” “Bone Tomahawk”).
The hot package, a passion project for director Park will hit the market at the Cannes Film Festival, where Park is set to preside over the competition jury. Patrick Wachsberger’s 193, a Legendary company, will represent international sales for the film.
“The Brigands of Rattlecreek” is described as “an iconic tale of vengeance and retribution set in the American West.” A synopsis of the project explains: “A capstone of the themes Park Chan-wook has plumbed across his entire body of work to date, the film is an emotionally explosive and visually stunning meditation on the consequences of violence, the value of family, the power of memory, and the true cost of life.”
McConaughey has a history with the project: After the script appeared on the Black List in 2006, Amazon had acquired rights to the material and was eyeing him to star back in 2019.
While Park’s films are often set in South Korea, he has helmed projects adapted from a wide variety of authors including Donald Westlake (“No Other Choice”), “The Handmaiden” (inspired by the Sarah Waters novel “Fingersmith”) and Emile Zola (“Thirst”). He made his English-language helming debut with 2013’s “Stoker.”
Park will also produce for Moho Film, alongside Bradley Fischer (“Zodiac”). Back Jisun for Moho Film, Mike Medavoy and Georgia Kacandes are executive producers.
McConaughey is represented by WME, Yorn Levine Barnes Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner Endlich Goodell & Gellman, and align PR; Butler is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment, Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern and 2PM Sharp; Pascal is represented by CAA, Jackoway Austen Tyerman, and Relevant; and Wei is represented by CAA and Hylda Queally.
Park is represented by WME, Industry Entertainment, Hansen Jacobson Teller, and ID Public Relations; Fischer is represented by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman and 42West; and Zahler is represented by UTA and Range Media Partners.